Vehicle-mounted weighing devices, such as, for instance, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,049 (Reichow, et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,116 (Reichow), have in the past been used to measure vehicle loads. Such load-measuring devices have been manufactured in various forms and configurations and, in use, are typically positioned on a structural member of the vehicle such as an axle or a structural part of the suspension system. An onboard weighing system permits convenient measurement of loads at any time, without the necessity of using a conventional scale. It also prevents accidental overloads and the possible fines and other inconvenience associated therewith, while insuring that the vehicle is loaded substantially to its permitted capacity whenever possible.
Conventional onboard weighing systems, including the system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,049, are typically subject to inaccurate or fluctuating results, due to twisting and possibly other movements of the weighing device caused by normal movement of the vehicle. Such movements are not indicative of vehicle load, but do have an effect on the weighing system. Furthermore, conventional vehicle-mounted weighing devices are easily imprecisely positioned, which in turn can result in poor performance of the weighing device. Still other drawbacks associated with existing vehicle-mounted weighing systems include expensive truck modifications, ongoing maintenance and re-calibration, data acquisition and driver dependency. Hence, there continues to be a need for a vehicle-mounted weighing system which addresses all or at least some of the foregoing drawbacks.